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The university was founded by Elisabeth I in 1592. However,
many documents claim the foundation year to be 1591, since the introduction of
the Gregorian calendar in 1751 shifted the date of the foundation from
March 3, 1951 to March 13, 1952. Until 1793, the
university was strictly open to members of the Protestant Church only. And
it was not until 1873 that the first Catholics were granted scholarships
and were awarded academic degrees. And since 1903, the university is
also open to women.
One of the most interesting buildings is the Old Library, built 1712
thru 1732. In 1801, the institution was granted the status
Copyright Library which entitles the library to claim a copy of each
and every book that is printed in Great Britain. Currently, it stores about
5,000 manuscripts and 2,000,000 (yes, two million
printed books. On the ground floor, the famous Book of Kells, dated
back to the 8th century, is on display.
Another tourist attraction is the Dublin experience which features a
multi media show about the history of the city.
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